This Week in TV: ’13 Reasons Why,’ ‘Power’ and ‘The Affair’ Final Seasons

Two premium cable shows, including one of the most-watched ones in the space, begin their final seasons in the week of Aug. 19. A controversial streaming series also returns, and a new show featuring Kirsten Dunst and a documentary produced by the Obamas make their debuts.

Here is The Hollywood Reporter‘s rundown of some of the coming week’s highlights. It would be next to impossible to watch everything, but let THR point the way to worthy options each week. All times are ET/PT unless noted.

The Big Show

Starz is not leaving the world of Power anytime soon — the premium cable outlet has ordered a follow-up series, Power Book II: Ghost, that will star Mary J. Blige. And no wonder, given that it’s one of the biggest shows on premium cable. But the current series is coming to an end with its sixth season.

The final season (which will run for 15 episodes, split into two parts) will open with James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) looking for revenge against his former partner Tommy (Joseph Sikora) after Tommy shot Angela (Lela Loren) in the fifth-season finale. Power premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, on Starz.

Also on cable …

Speaking of final seasons: The Affair begins its last run at 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, on Showtime, with Anna Paquin joining the cast as a grown-up version of Cole (Joshua Jackson) and Alison’s (Ruth Wilson) daughter, who returns to the Hamptons 20-some years in the future to uncover what happened to her mom. It’s followed by the new series On Becoming a God in Central Florida, starring Kirsten Dunst as a woman who rises to the precarious top of a multi-level marketing scheme.

The week also brings new seasons of Ghost Hunters (9 p.m. Wednesday, A&E), which last aired on Syfy three years ago; Chesapeake Shores (8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, Hallmark); and Ballers (10:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, HBO). Alton Brown also resurrects his beloved cooking show in Good Eats: The Return at 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, on Food Network.

On streaming …

Returning: The third season of 13 Reasons Why (Friday, Netflix) unwraps a new mystery when the show’s villain, Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice), is killed after getting off with a very light sentence for sexual assault.

New: Documentary feature American Factory (Wednesday, Netflix) chronicles the experiences of workers in Dayton, Ohio, when a Chinese company takes over part of a closed General Motors plant. It’s the first production from Higher Ground, Barack and Michelle Obama’s company. Also Wednesday, Hulu debuts the British import This Way Up, starring Aisling Bea as a teacher who has to pull her life together after a “teeny little” breakdown. Sharon Horgan (also an executive producer), Tobias Menzies, Aasif Mandvi and Indira Varma also star.

Specials: After debuting its first stand-up special a week earlier, Amazon drops several more on Friday with sets from Alonzo Bodden, Alice Wetterlund, Mike W. Winfield and the “IMomSoHard” duo of Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley.

On broadcast …

New: Or at least new to linear TV. I Ship It, a musical comedy about an aspiring writer (Helen Highfield) who lands a job on her favorite TV show, makes the jump from digital platform CW Seed to The CW network at 9:30 p.m. Monday.

Finales: The season ends for Beat Shazam (8 p.m. Monday, Fox) Holey Moley (8 and 9 p.m. Thursday, ABC) and Instinct (9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, CBS).

In case you missed it …

Like a PG, teen version of Outlander, Find Me in Paris follows a teenage Russian princess from 1905 (Jessica Lord) studying ballet in Paris who is suddenly transported to the present — where she has to fit in at the modern-day dance academy, avoid “time-catchers” who want to return her to her own time and deal with her feelings for both her 1905 boyfriend and a present-day student. Two seasons are streaming on Hulu.